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Shifting towards sustainabilitySix insights into successful

organisational change for sustainability

macquarieU N I V E R S I T Y S Y D N E Y

Six insights into successful organisational change for sustainabilitySh

ifting

tow

ards su

stainab

ility

Acknowledgements

Th e Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES) is grateful to the

Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) and the Natural

Heritage Trust for providing funding for this project. We are also grateful to members of the

Industry Working Group of the National Environmental Education Council for informing

this research. In addition, we express our thanks to those organisations that participated and

supported this project and the participants for devoting their time and eff orts to make change

towards sustainability.

Citation

Hunting, SA. and Tilbury D. (2006) ‘Shifting towards sustainability: Six insights into successful

organisational change for sustainability’, Australian Research Institute in Education for

Sustainability (ARIES) for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and

Heritage, Sydney: ARIES.

ISBN

ISBN 10: 1 74138 198 3

ISBN 13: 978 1 74138 198 6

© Commonwealth of Australia 2006

Information contained in this publication may be copied or reproduced for study, research,

information or educational purposes, subject to inclusion of acknowledgment of the source.

Disclaimer

Th e views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not

necessarily refl ect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and

Heritage.

PDF Version is available at www.aries.mq.edu.au and www.deh.gov.au

For hard copies of this document please email: [email protected]

Th is booklet was printed on Monza Satin — 55% recycled paper that is ECF and certifi ed FSC mixed source (Certifi cate no. SA-

COC-1532). Printed by ecoDesign ecoPrint, Arncliff e, NSW using vegetable oil based inks and an environmentally friendly

alcohol-free printing process and designed by the Centre for Flexible Learning, Macquarie University CFL W06120

“…critical thinking and

relationships are key to any

change for sustainability. I also

learnt that sometimes slow is

good, non linear is best, as they

allow quiet refl ection along

the way and absorption of

implications of the change by

many people”.

Project participant in Feedback Form from Workshop

Th is booklet was produced following an ARIES research project ‘Shifting towards sustainability:

An Action Research project on sustainability practices and organisational change’.

Th is twelve month research project sought to stimulate organisational change for sustainability

through education. Ten major Australian organisations each nominated a participant for the

project and the participants successfully used new learning approaches to build their capacity to

achieve change.

Who is it for? Th is booklet is designed for anyone involved in making change for sustainability. Th is includes

sustainability practitioners, human resource specialists, strategic planners and managers and

executive level staff in all industry sectors, including business, government and not-for-profi t

organisations.

What is this booklet about? Th is booklet is not a ‘steps to sustainability’, as change for sustainability is not a linear process,

nor is it a technical manual on ‘how to be sustainable’. Its main aim is to inspire readers to look

at sustainability using a new way of thinking - an Education for Sustainability approach. Th is

approach will help not only individuals but whole organisations to think diff erently about what

they can do to start to build the capabilities and capacities needed to create a more sustainable

world.

As a result of this project, many insights into change were gained by the ten participating

organisations, six of which are presented here in an easy to use format. Each insight is discussed

in detail, outlining why it is important, how it can be used and practical ideas on how to

incorporate it into an organisation. Examples have been used throughout the booklet to illustrate

how these new ways of thinking have been used in practice.

What can you learn?Th e research found that being involved in the project has changed the way participants approach

change and education as a tool for change. Readers will be able to benefi t from their stories

about the process of change, the outcomes and their six insights and examples. Th ese have been

provided in this booklet to help change agents think critically how they achieve organisational

change for sustainability.

Welcome

“…the process helps people

think through the implications

of their choices and behaviours

– the risks and opportunities

of current behaviours in

relation to the goal of

sustainability. It also means

refl ecting about ourselves,

about others we interact with

and the dynamics of groups

in which we participate. The

refl ective thinking… leads to

better decision-making as it

makes one focus on why we

do things, helps question our

assumptions, preconceptions

and may actually lead to a shift

in paradigm or mindset”.

Project participant in Journal Summary

Contents

Project information . 01

Insight 1: Adopt a clear, shared vision for the future 7

Insight 2: Build teams, not just champions 13

Insight 3: Use critical thinking and refl ection 19

Insight 4: Go beyond stakeholder engagement 25

Insight 5: Adopt a systemic approach 31

Insight 6: Move beyond expecting a linear path to change 37

In summary 43

Additional information 45

Amcor Australasia BHP Billiton Department of

the Environment

and Heritage

National Australia Bank Parramatta

City Council

Toyota Australia Visy Industries Wesley Mission

SydneyWestpac Banking

Corporation

Yarra Valley

Water

The ten organisations who are sharing their experiences in this booklet are:

SHIFTING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY | 1

§ Project information

Who was involved? Ten major corporate and government

organisations were involved in this ground

breaking research project which aimed

to make change towards sustainability

through education. All the organisations

currently use various approaches to

sustainability performance improvement

such as; implementing a sustainability policy

and procedures; using an Environmental

Management System; publicly reporting on

sustainability performance; creating learning

environments for staff ; and incorporating

sustainability measures into staff and supplier

performance.

Th e project was led by the Australian Research

Institute in Education for Sustainability

(ARIES) and funded by the Australian

Government Department of the Environment

and Heritage (DEH). Th e project used a

change process of Action Research with an

Education for Sustainability framework.

What did they do?Each participant identifi ed a specifi c change

action that would assist in realigning their

organisation towards sustainability. Th e project

process then built their capacity to refl ect

critically about sustainability and about change

within their organisation. Th is enabled them

to develop eff ective strategies to embed the

change. Th e research studied the eff ectiveness

of this process in achieving change. More

information about the project process can

be found in the Additional information

section at the end of this booklet.

What did they achieve?Th e project helped the participants make

change in their organisations and had the

following impacts:

Th e organisations achieved specifi c

outcomes for sustainability (for

more details see the case studies

documented throughout this booklet);

Th e participants gained key insights

into organisational change. Six of

these insights form the basis for this

document;

Some change actions were embedded

in the organisations and the skills and

learnings developed were transferred

to others;

A strong peer group of sustainability

practitioners was formed which

resulted in formal and informal

partnerships. Th e participants agreed

to continue to support each other in

the future; and

Th e outcomes and insights can now be

used as tools for action for change in

other organisations.

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2 | Project Information

What did they do diff erently?Th e ten organisations previously took an

Education about Sustainability approach. Th is

involved building knowledge and awareness

using internal communications and training

programs about ‘what sustainability is’ and

‘how to be sustainable’.

In this project they used an Education for

Sustainability approach. Th is was used to

develop a broader, collective vision for their

organisation and map out eff ective steps to

achieve this vision. It went beyond developing

basic knowledge and capacity in sustainability

and resulted in specifi c change actions.

Th e participants realised they needed to more

deeply understand the barriers and limitations

to change. Deeper understanding goes beyond

narrow defi nitions of organisational values, the

standard stakeholder analysis exercise or the

traditional linear approaches to change towards

sustainability. Th ese do not challenge the

underlying culture and therefore have limited

infl uence on organisational sustainability.

Th e organisations used envisioning and a

critically refl ective, systemic and adaptive

process to frame and implement a change

action for sustainability. Participants built

their capacity to engage with internal and

external stakeholders which helped embed the

change.

Two complementary guiding approaches

underpinned the project. Th ey were Education

for Sustainability and Action Research (see

also the Glossary in the Additional information

section).

Education for SustainabilityEducation for Sustainability is an ongoing

learning process which actively involves

multiple stakeholders in change to achieve

sustainability. It is sometimes also called

Learning for Sustainability or Education for

Sustainable Development and involves fi ve key

components:

Visioning (imagining a better future);

Critical thinking and refl ection;

Participation in decision making;

Partnerships; and

Systemic thinking.

Th ese are not new concepts. Change in

organisations always needs participation,

collaboration and to have an end goal. It

requires a holistic approach and a clear

understanding of how people currently live and

work and why they behave as they do.

However, bundled together under the umbrella

of Education for Sustainability, the concepts

can help people make informed decisions and

create ways to work towards a more sustainable

world. By going beyond individual behavioural

change, Education for Sustainability seeks to

engage and empower people to implement

systemic changes.

Various learning approaches can be used to

explore the broad sustainability agenda. Th e

project used mentoring and facilitation (see

Glossary in the Additional information section)

as part of the Action Research process. Th ese

enabled participants to refl ect critically on their

experiences, learn how to make change and

take action.

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Action ResearchAction Research diff ers from other types

of research in that its end goal is action and

change, not just knowledge generation. It also

diff ers in that the process is carried out by the

organisations themselves, rather than outsiders,

which builds capacity internally.

Action Research has a focus on critical enquiry

and continuous self-evaluation and is often

represented as a four-phase cyclical process

of critical enquiry; plan-act-observe-critically

refl ect. Action Research requires you to go

deeper to discover the root cause of why

change does and does not work, identify the

biases and motivations of yourself and others

and make adjustments along the way. It diff ers

considerably from usual ‘change management’

approaches as it aims not just to improve, but

to innovate practice.

Each participant became an ‘Action Researcher’

and developed and implemented a specifi c

change action plan. Th e plans varied in nature

but all were designed to assess and improve

the eff ectiveness of sustainability practices and

processes as drivers for internal change and, in

some cases, external change too.

What can you learn?Being involved in the project has changed

the way participants approach change and

education as a tool for change. You can

benefi t from their stories about the process of

change, the outcomes and their six insights

and examples. Th ese have been provided in

this booklet to help you achieve organisational


“The process of implementing sustainability into

an organisation is not a well known path. It is

not something we can follow from a text book

or copy from another organisation. Each place is

unique and requires us to do new things, refl ect

and adjust”.


“I am now a diff erent person,

better skilled to facilitating

change for sustainability

having learnt about Education

for Sustainability and

Action Learning. I see this

methodology as critical building

blocks for the knowledge

skill set of all sustainability

practitioners and arguable any

change agent”.

Project Participant in Journal Summary

§ Six insights

into organisational change for

sustainability

6 | INSIGHT 1: Adopt a clear, shared vision for the future


1 Adopt a clear, shared vision

for the future

Why is a shared vision important?Visioning is one of the key components in Education for

Sustainability and is a crucial starting point for any change.

Typically, change towards sustainability in the past has

involved staff being ‘told’ what the vision is and ‘how’ to get

there. Th is means they don’t take ownership of the change

process and also feel extremely disempowered. Organisations

are often left wondering why change failed to achieve the

intended outcomes, forgetting, or paying lip service to, their

biggest asset and source of ideas - staff .

A more positive, proactive approach is to actively engage a

range of stakeholders to ‘imagine a better future’ and develop

a clear, shared vision (whether at a project or organisational

level) which will inspire and motivate them in making change


So how do you go about visioning? Visioning is a highly creative process which opens up

possibilities. Rather than taking a negative ‘problem solving’

approach to sustainability, visioning looks at ‘what can be’

rather than ‘what is’. Th is can be quite confronting as people

are given ‘permission’ to look outside the square and think

diff erently about what kind of future they want to live and

work in.

Visioning also needs people to focus on their biases; what

informed their vision and why they do things in certain

ways. Th is increases their awareness that others may have a

diff erent view of the future than they do. Acknowledgement

of diff erent perspectives helps build the shared vision and gets

the all important ‘buy-in’ necessary.

Visioning tools such as facilitated workshops, drawing,

mapping, group discussions, scenario planning and refl ective

practice can help to start building a vision for what a

sustainable future should look and feel like.

“It’s harder to move towards a goal

when people haven’t been provided

with an opportunity to take time out

to envision what sustainability means

to them separately (as individuals) and

together (as a team or organisation)”.


“The process of Education for

Sustainability has helped me to be

more consciously aware of the value

of shared visioning. The act of sharing

produces a better result. It produces

a concept/outcome, which is better

understood and owned by participants

in the development process”.



What happened in this project?At the start of the project, participants drew a vision for their

sustainable organisation and identifi ed key words associated with

it. Th ey refl ected on what had informed their vision and started

to see many links between their organisations and others which

they had not considered previously. Th is was a springboard for

the partnering and peer support which later took place.

All organisations recognised that visioning is an important

starting point for sustainability and that it should engage key

stakeholders. If done without consultation it is likely to have

less impact because there is no joint commitment to what a

sustainable future should look like.

Th ey also agreed that once the vision is defi ned, a path needs to

be built to the vision, using existing processes and practices. Th is

gives sustainability credibility and validity and helps understand

how a change in one area (or part of the ‘system’) may have

knock on eff ects in other areas.

Examples of how organisations used visioning

Case study 1: Amcor Australasia

Amcor Australasia wanted to implement Positive Performance

Indicators (PPIs) for health, safety and environment.

Systemic thinking and a deeper understanding of the

organisation’s structure and hierarchy led to the creation of a

cross departmental stakeholder team.

Th e team formulated a vision for PPIs and used critical

thinking and refl ection to understand the levers to change.

PPIs were trialed at pilot sites and feedback was incorporated

into the fi nal PPI set, implemented in May 2006. Th e PPIs

were then built into a web based balanced scorecard for a

three month pilot starting in September 2006.

A network of champions formed in tandem with the project

which assisted in developing an ongoing, more systemic

change approach across the organisation.

Amcor Australasia used: Visioning, critical thinking and

refl ection, systemic thinking and participation

“I approach change diff erently

since starting this project. I now

recognise the importance of

focusing on the goal, not problem

solving. ‘Fixing something’ is

past focused, rather than creating

something we truly want”.


“Visioning is only productive if you

backfi ll in the steps needed to get

there”.

Project participant in Mentoring Session

“With visioning there needs to be

a clear pathway before you can

do it. Often need the person to

change their skill set because this

determines whether they can fi nd

the pathway”.



Case study 2: National Australia Bank (NAB)

NAB planned to establish a Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) Procurement Policy and commence

development of supporting procedures as a starting point

for a more sustainable supply chain.

Critical thinking and refl ection led to a clear understanding

of the structural and hierarchical issues for the adoption

of a group-wide policy. Th is process was iterative and the

specifi c levers for change were identifi ed and addressed.

A shared vision for a sustainable supply chain was created

with procurement staff and an internal sustainability

practitioners’ network was formed as a side outcome of

the project.

NAB used: Visioning, participation, critical thinking and

refl ection

“The Education for

Sustainability processes and

tools make one refl ect that

we seldom stop long enough

to truly use our imagination

to envision a better world or

diff erent ways to do things”.



How other companies have developed visions

Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world

leader in diabetes care. It sees sustainability as

‘preserving the planet while improving the quality of

life for its current and future inhabitants’.

Source: www.novonordisk.com/sustainability/sustainability_in_short/default.asp

ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO is an international bank and has a

sustainability defi nition: ‘To live our Corporate

Values and Business Principles and to meet the needs

of the organisation and our stakeholders, thus seeking

to protect, sustain and enhance human, natural and

fi nancial capital needed in the future’.

Source: www.abnamro.com/com/about/sr2005en.pdf


What you can do:Draw your own vision for your organisation. Th ink

about what formed your vision. Th ink about your

own biases and try to understand how they may have

infl uenced your vision

Plan visioning and futures activities with a group of

key stakeholders. Promote creative thinking. Give

the individuals time to think about their vision

for a sustainable organisation and how their own

actions can shape this. Create a supportive, inclusive

environment and get the group to share their

individual visions to build a shared vision

Make the link between the vision and the present

situation using a change plan, incorporating input

from as many people as possible. Explain to people

that this is a forward looking exercise not a problem

solving one

Build the steps needed to get to the vision into the

strategic planning process. Include timelines and

targets and monitor your progress but allow for some

fl exibility in your plans, just in case things don’t turn

out as you expect! Get to the bottom of what can slow

down or speed up change

Keep focused on the vision and what you’re trying to

achieve. Th is will help keep people motivated on the

end point rather than bogged down when barriers to

change occur

Read about visioning to get yourself and others

inspired:

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It is important to remember “that such a

change process is not about ‘winning the

battle’, but being around long enough to

‘win the war’”.


www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/about/keycomps_future.htm

www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/links/envision.htm

12 | INSIGHT2: Build teams, not just champions


2 Build teams, not just

champions

Do you have a specialist area ‘looking at’ sustainability? Relying on single change champions or on one

department to build a vision or make eff ective, long

lasting change for sustainability is no longer good enough.

A team based approach is vital to get an organisation-

wide buy-in to sustainability. Cross departmental groups

with clear responsibilities and accountabilities should be

set up to inform a more holistic approach to change and

build broader organisational capacity for sustainability.

Th ese groups should include staff at all levels so they can

participate and help with setting the agenda and driving

successful change.

Are your champions overwhelmed?As a change champion it is easy to feel overwhelmed

or disheartened about the challenges of sustainability.

Champions need more support or they will move on.

Th ey need support from both external and internal

sources. In this project, mentoring provided a ‘safe’

environment for critical thinking and refl ection to work

through the challenges to change. In addition, a strong

peer group formed which helped provide clarity of

thought and introduce participants to other ideas about

change.

“During the project, I learnt that a

few management champions are not

enough to maintain organisational

impetus to implement change for

sustainability”.


“The one on one mentoring...was also

valuable. It was a safe place to work

through issues and have someone ask

at times critical and valuable questions.

The mentoring meetings ensured

there was time given to refl ection and

to discuss with someone outside the

situation in a trusted environment”.



How do you set up these teams?Building participation across your organisation may take

time but is well worth the investment. Once gained,

participation becomes part of organisational culture and

can be used over and over again to make change. To

establish cross departmental teams for sustainability you

need to remember the steps which lead to participation in

decision making:

Engagement. Raise awareness of sustainability in a

positive or negative way and create a ‘desire’ to change;

Empowerment. Build skills for the ‘ability’ to change

and give staff ‘permission’ to assist with change; and

Participation. Encourage staff to get involved and

give input which will ‘motivate’ them to take action.

Th ese are equally important and change will be more

embedded if you can achieve all three.

Examples of how organisations built teams for change

Case study 3: Parramatta City Council

A ‘Sustainability Health Check’ questionnaire was

developed in conjunction with other councils and the

Local Government Managers Association. Th e aim

was to use the process of completing the checklist to

engage staff and provide a mechanism for creating

change within the organisation. Critical thinking and

refl ection identifi ed that this process would not create

high levels of participation or buy-in for sustainability.

Instead, small focus groups were formed to facilitate an

inclusive envisioning process.

In addition to creating a vision for a sustainable

Council, these cross departmental groups also used

critical thinking and refl ection to identify challenges

and constraints to change. Th e group process led to

shared learning and capacity building within Council

staff .

Parramatta City Council used: Participation, visioning, critical thinking and refl ection and systemic thinking

1.

2.

3.

“Participation in decision making takes

time but achieves agreement – once

agreement is gained, the impact of a

large organisation can be huge”.



Information sharing is important tooAs well as collaborative decision making, participation

encourages the sharing of information and prevents

knowledge being withheld and used a source of

power. Of course, some information may be sensitive

but decision makers need to have the same access to

information and knowledge if they are to map out the

route to the vision.

Sustainability indicators also need to be built into

performance measures at an individual and team level.

Th is will reward people for taking action and indicate

that the organisation is serious about sustainability.

Examples of how organisations addressed information sharing

Case study 4: Yarra Valley Water

Yarra Valley Water established a ‘Sustainability

Circle’ to promote the integration of environmental

sustainability into the business. It was made up of

executive team members and specifi c internal and

external knowledge experts.

Th e staff members in the ‘Circle’ used critical thinking

and refl ection to examine how change for sustainability

currently occurred. Th ey concluded that information and

knowledge sharing were vital for change for sustainability

and were just as important levers to change as the

alignment of personal and organisational values around

sustainability. Th is understanding drove the formulation

of a change model about values and knowledge.

Various methods were used to support knowledge

sharing at Yarra Valley Water and change projects

were started in teams across functional work groups.

Key outcomes were the production of a Greenhouse

Gas reduction strategy and the improvement in the

provision of alternative, more sustainable, water and

sewerage services.

Yarra Valley Water used: Participation, critical thinking and refl ection and systemic thinking


How other organisations are building teams

Patagonia

Patagonia is an outdoor adventure clothing company

that diff erentiates itself with an environmental focus.

In 2001 it decided to switch to using organic cotton.

“Before Patagonia made the switch to organics, the

company purchased cotton from a broker. Departments

went about their everyday business without much

concern about how the cotton was produced. Once

they decided to switch to organic cotton, however,

Patagonia had to initiate an exhaustive review of the

production process that led back through the broker to

the distributors, cotton ginners and eventually to the

farmers themselves. Th is required the involvement

of numerous departments and functions. Th e result

was the creation of a ‘cotton education’ team. Many

units were involved with the team. Th e purpose

of the team was to educate every department and

individual within the company about what the shift

to organics meant – from why the changes were being

made to what the implications were for the business.

Almost every unit, including fabric, production,

accounting, sales and marketing eventually altered

their operations because the shift to organics required

all sorts of changes, including new pricing structures

and marketing strategies”.

Source:Doppelt, B. (2003) Leading change towards sustainability: a change management guide for government, business and civil societySee also:http//www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=2077


What you can do:Th ink about whether and how your organisation

encourages people to get involved in decision making.

Try and discover why some people want to get

involved and others don’t and what can build their

involvement

Try and map out what your organisation needs to

do to build the steps to participation (looking at

engagement and empowerment fi rst) and formulate a

plan of action and reward structure to achieve this

Form a cross functional sustainability team as part

of a trial project and use it to see what is needed for

participation to be successful

Ensure all project groups have representatives from

diff erent departments in some capacity (whether

as steering committee members, stakeholders or

reviewers)

Read about participation in decision making:

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www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/about/keycomps_participation.htm

www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/links/participate.htm

18 | INSIGHT 3: Use critical thinking and refl ection


3 Use critical thinking

and refl ection

Don’t we already think critically?Th e answer is ‘yes’, sometimes too critically. But this

is not what ‘critical thinking’ and ‘refl ection’ are about.

Critical thinking is about identifying the various elements

of a change situation (especially the often unsaid bits

such as power structures and personal bias), refl ecting on

why things do and don’t work and then using this deeper

knowledge to build a path to your vision. A bit like doing

a puzzle.

Often, the elements of the change situation are called

‘barriers’ but really they should be seen as ‘levers’ to change

ie. pieces of the puzzle, not complete stopping points. If

you can understand the eff ect levers such as leadership,

power, politics, hierarchy, structure, information fl ows and

personal bias have on change, you can use critical thinking

to develop practical steps to change using the levers.

Critical thinking and refl ection are great tools to use

during change. Th ey are not for use only at the end of a

project, during the post implementation review. Critical

thinking should to be used almost constantly, at least at

every decision point.

“... critical thinking and refl ection takes

eff ort. I fi nd that I had to be disciplined

to actually record my thoughts, to spend

time to ask the questions that I did not

intuitively ask. And it is only when I did

this that I found an awareness that I had

not previously experienced”.



So, how did the participants improve their thinking skills?Critical thinking starts with the individual and keeping

a regular journal can help you refl ect on the actions you

took and what you’re planning to do. To support the

critical thinking process in this project, all participants

kept a journal to regularly record their thoughts and ideas.

Th ey reviewed their ‘journey’ at the end of the project and

produced a summary of their journal. Some participants

are continuing to keep a journal.

Critical thinking and refl ection helped all the participants

to more clearly understand the levers to change for

sustainability. With this understanding, they were able

to adjust their plans accordingly and still work towards

achieving their objectives. Th is adjustment creates an

iterative process of change of ‘plan-do-observe-critically

refl ect’. Th is cyclical approach using deep refl ective

practice was a cornerstone of many projects. Such

practice has rarely been used before in these types of

organisations to achieve change towards sustainability.

However, critical thinking is at its most potent when used

with others and is invaluable in a group context.

Examples of how organisations used critical thinking and refl ection

Case study 5: Wesley Mission Sydney

Wesley Mission Sydney already had a small group of

champions trying to make change for sustainability.

However, they were fi nding it hard to build staff buy-

in and support.

Th e group used critical thinking and refl ection to gain

a deeper understanding of the internal levers for staff

engagement with sustainability. Certain staff were

identifi ed as being key levers for change, most notably

at senior management level.

Wesley Mission Sydney then used both external

“Undertaking critical thinking,

particularly through the discipline

of documenting this in a journal has

delivered the largest learning for

me. Some are new, and some are just

revisiting theory that is familiar to me,

but critically, the learning comes from

actually the act of experiential practice.

From my experience when you live an

example it resonates in every living

cell and provides a learning experience

signifi cantly deeper than reading about

a theory”.



sustainability advocates and improved information

fl ows to raise awareness about sustainability. Th is, in

combination with positive messages from a new CEO,

led to senior managers embracing sustainability as an

important organisational value.

Th is created commitment to increase resources for

change towards sustainability. In addition, sustainability

performance planning and measures have been built into

overall business planning.

Wesley Mission Sydney used: Critical thinking and refl ection, systemic thinking, visioning and partnering

Case study 6: Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac)

A comprehensive sustainable supply chain management

system was rolled out across the procurement area of

Westpac. Th is aimed to help procurement staff build

sustainability performance improvements into supplier

contracts.

However, the system was underutilised. Critical thinking

and refl ection led to better identifi cation of the levers to

support changed actions of staff and suppliers, especially to

change the perception that extra resources were required

for the engagement of suppliers in the process.

Critical thinking and refl ection also highlighted that the

link between Westpac’s commitment to sustainability

and the role of procurement needed to be strengthened

by developing clear drivers for the engagement of

suppliers.

Benchmarking of global best practice with senior

management enabled a top down approach to defi ne

the vision for sustainable supply chain management.

From this, clear drivers were agreed, which allowed

for the identifi cation of risks and the development of

implementation strategies.

Th is has created better use of resources and refi nement

of the sustainable supply chain system to support

more targeted and effi cient processes for sustainability

performance improvement.

Westpac used: Critical thinking and refl ection, visioning and systemic thinking

“...the process helps people think

through the implications of their

choices and behaviours – the

risks and opportunities of current

behaviours in relation to the goal

of sustainability. It also means

refl ecting about ourselves, about

others we interact with and the

dynamics of groups in which

we participate. The refl ective

thinking… leads to better decision-

making as it makes one focus on

why we do things, helps question

our assumptions, preconceptions

and may actually lead to a shift in

paradigm or mindset”.



How other organisations use critical thinking

Interface Inc.

Interface is a global leader in the carpet industry. As

part of its vision for a sustainable future Interface

developed ‘Mission Zero’ which aims to ‘eliminate

any negative impact our company may have on the

environment by the year 2020’.

Interface’s vision was driven initially by its CEO

but in order to make such transformational change

all staff needed to understand and engage with this

vision. Interface uses critical thinking and refl ection

in a continuous improvement cycle to empower staff to

generate ideas about how to achieve its vision.

By critically thinking about the levers to change for

sustainability, Interface has defi ned key focus areas of

improvement including zero waste, renewable energy

and closed-loop recycling and aims to completely sever

its links with the biosphere and lithosphere by 2020.

Interface uses a process called QUEST (Quality Using

Employee Suggestions and Teamwork) to achieve its

Zero Waste target. Th e aim is to take many approaches,

critically refl ect on the outcomes and continuously

make change.

Adapted from:www.interfacesustainability.comandAnderson, R. (2003) Introduction: Envisioning the prototypical company of the 21st century in Waage, S. (Ed) Ants, Galileo, & Gandhi: Designing the Future of Business through Nature, Genius and Compassion


What you can do:Start a journal to record your thoughts and refl ect on

your actions. Begin by asking yourself a question such

as ‘what do I think about sustainability?’ or ‘what can

I do to improve sustainability?’ Th en ask the question

‘why?’ you wrote what you did – try to deconstruct

your responses by delving down below the surface and

being truthful

Write regularly and paste in news items, cartoons and

quotes – anything which has sparked your interest,

both positively and negatively. Revisit your journal

entries every six months to see how your thinking has

developed and how your awareness of yourself and

others has changed

Seek out a mentor (most likely external to your

organisation) to support your refl ective practice. Use

them to bounce ideas off rather than looking to them

for answers – you have all of these – you just have to

ask yourself the right questions

Most importantly, use critical thinking and refl ection

in teams at work to identify levers for change for

sustainability. Make sure everyone is on the same page

about what critical thinking and refl ection is and how

they contribute to change. Consider using a thinking

framework eg. Edward de Bono’s Six Th inking Hats

(de Bono, E. (2000) Six Th inking Hats, revised edition), to provide a structure for critical thinking and help

diff use some of the inherent biases people bring to

discussions

Use critical thinking and refl ection to boost creativity

and put the fun back into complex decision making

Read more about critical thinking:

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www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/about/keycomps_critical.htm

www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/links/envision.htm#critical

24 | INSIGHT 4 : Go beyond stakeholder engagement


4 Go beyond stakeholder

engagement

But we already have a stakeholder process!Many organisations respond to sustainability by

identifying and ‘engaging’ their stakeholders. Th is process

takes a signifi cant investment of time and resources but

shouldn’t be seen as a static exercise. Ask yourself the

question: ‘Why do we do stakeholder engagement, is it to

minimise the risk to our business or are we really asking

others for their input so we can collectively make change

for sustainability?’

To really make change for sustainability, organisations

need to work more proactively with a variety of other

organisations and share information, issues and practices

until a ‘tipping point’ for sustainability is reached.

Th is requires rethinking the traditional stakeholder

engagement approach. Most importantly, building cross

sectoral partnerships between industry, government

and not-for-profi ts helps better understand diff erent

perspectives for sustainability and informs a shared vision

for a sustainable future.

How were partnerships and networks used?Partnering and networking became increasingly important

as the project progressed. Th e participants realised they all

had similar goals, ultimately to build a more sustainable

world, and that working together as a group could help to

better understand issues, levers for change and map out

the way forward.

“Partnerships demonstrate the

reality of synergy. The success of

a partnership does not come from

likeminded individuals working

together; it demands that diversity be

embraced to get the right outcome.

It requires people to reassess their

values and pride issues because they

are often working alongside people

or in ways they never would in their

normal approach”.


“It is critical to work together in forming

common goals. Sustainability crosses

many boundaries and I see partnerships

as a potential to achieve results not

previously considered”.



Th e participants explored ways to partner with each other

and saw many benefi ts in partnering such as:

Learning from others, especially learning that people

think diff erently and that there is power in tapping into

this diversity;

Realising that combinations of organisations can be

powerful if a focus around a common goal is developed;

Using a more holistic approach to sustainability,

especially where horizontal and vertical partnering (via

supply chain) occurs; and

Driving a wide variety of outcomes eg. improved

sustainability plans and strategies leading to better

results, or a more active group advocacy or change role.

Examples of how organisations used partnering

Case study 7: Informal partnership to support change

Toyota Australia aimed to increase awareness about

sustainability amongst staff as a starting point for making

change towards sustainability.

Initially, Toyota Australia developed a training program

to achieve this. However, a process of critical thinking

and refl ection by the environmental team highlighted

that the program would not improve sustainability

performance and the program was postponed.

Instead, Toyota Australia worked in partnership with

another participant, Yarra Valley Water, to develop

measures to fi rst determine staff awareness levels. Th e

two organisations worked together to better understand

the drivers for staff awareness and develop practical

measures to assess and track staff awareness levels.

Rather than running the training program, staff were

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surveyed about their awareness of sustainability. In

response to learning needs identifi ed via the survey,

a program was run to engage staff in reducing

greenhouse emissions. Th is was successful in achieving

reductions but less successful in building support for

sustainability.

Further critical thinking shifted the focus to

implementing an Environmental Management

System across the organisation to better highlight staff

learning needs and build participation levels.

Toyota Australia used: Partnering, critical thinking and refl ection, participation and systemic thinking

Case study 8: Formal partnership to support change

Both NAB and Westpac found common interests

during the project in wanting to better link their

corporate sustainability strategy with their procurement

policy and procedures.

Subsequently ANZ, NAB and Westpac initiated

plans to set up a supply chain working party with

other fi nancial organisations under the auspices

of the Australasian Group of the United Nations

Environment Programme Finance Initiative.


How other organisations use partnering

SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a household products company and is

committed to sustainability by creating value for those

most in need of support around the world.

SC Johnson partnered with Cornell University, the

University of North Carolina, the University of Michigan,

Th e World Resources Institute and Th e Johnson Foundation

to develop a ‘Base of the Pyramid’ (BOP) Protocol which

informs its sustainability strategy. Th is was also supported

fi nancially by DuPont, Hewlett-Packard and Tetra Pak.

Th is partnership aims to link the private sector and local

communities to build economic, social and environmental

value for the poorest section of the global society.

Th e BOP Protocol defi nes three key phases to generate

value for all stakeholders as follows:

Opening up – facilitating two-way stakeholder dialogue

to understand the local environment and generate ideas

for change;

Building the ecosystem – generating a network of

partnerships among multinational corporations and

local individuals and organisations that support change

for sustainability and win-win strategies; and

Enterprise creation – piloting a test, evaluating results

and then further launching change initiatives which

generate value for all stakeholders.

Following the BOP Protocol, SC Johnson and other

multinational corporations identify and develop

sustainable new products and businesses in partnership

with BOP suppliers and consumers, resulting in lasting

value that stems from a deep understanding of their needs,

perspectives and capabilities.

Adapted from:www.scjohnson.com/PR05/cnv_4_npn.asp#

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What you can do:Rethink your organisation’s stakeholder engagement

strategy. View the stakeholder interests as inputs

into a process of change for sustainability rather than

a risk reduction strategy or information gathering.

Ask, ‘what can we all do together to drive change for

sustainability across all our organisations?’ and ‘Is there

a goal for sustainability we can work collectively on to

achieve?’

Explore opportunities for partnering with other

organisations, especially outside your own industry

sector using a mix of corporate, government and

non-for-profi t partners. Defi ne a common goal or

vision you can all work towards. Be prepared to share

information and knowledge about sustainability. Put

aside your preconceptions and listen to and learn from

others

Support staff in networking outside your organisation

to share change experiences and better understand

levers for change because we’re all trying to do the

same thing!

Read more about partnering and networking:

Read ‘Partnering for Success’. Partnering for Success

is the fourth annual report of the World Economic

Forum’s Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative

(GCCI). Th e report focuses on some of the successful

approaches that GCCI companies are taking to

build partnerships with other private enterprises,

government bodies and civil society organisations to

address key international development challenges.

Available at:

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www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/about/keycomps_partnership.htm

www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/links/partnership.htm

www.iblf.org/docs/PartneringforSuccess.pdf

30 | INSIGHT 5 : Adopt a systemic approach


5 Adopt a systemic approach

Do you fi nd it’s hard to know where sustainability begins and ends?It often seems easier these days to separate a large issue or

problem into smaller parts and focus on ‘solving’ each part

individually. But, sustainability isn’t like this. You can’t

simply take it apart because sustainability is all pervasive,

a ball of wool that can’t and shouldn’t be unravelled.

However, don’t be alarmed! Systems thinking is

the answer to this interconnectedness and seeming

complexity. By developing your systems thinking skills

you can better understand and manage complex situations

within and external to your organisation and make long

term, successful change for sustainability.

So how is systems thinking diff erent from traditional problem solving? Traditional problem solving techniques analyse and

‘deconstruct’ situations to make them appear simpler

than they really are. Th is means that the ‘solution’ is also

too simple and when implemented, falls apart. Systems

thinking:

Looks at the whole, larger context, resisting our

tendency to simplify problems and solutions. It sees

the larger properties of whole systems that emerge

from the interaction of individual parts;

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“I have been challenged about my

previous values, behaviour, ways of

thinking and my view of change. I’m

more aware of the interconnectedness

of work projects, people and the

natural environment and…I realise

that there are varying points of view

on sustainability and ways to solve the

issues and that the only way to ensure

the best outcome is to engage with

others”.



Helps us to look at multiple infl uences and

relationships when we explore and participate in

resolving issues and accept uncertainty and ambiguity

as a natural part of change;

Expands our worldview so we become more aware of

the boundaries and assumptions used to defi ne issues.

It recognises the infl uences of our worldviews and self

perception and helps us appreciate other viewpoints;

Recognises there are many ways of learning and

knowing and restores a sense of connection to place, to

others and the wider world; and

Integrates decision making and encourages more

participatory and holistic approaches to identify better

sustainability strategies.

How did the participants use systems thinking?Participants became more aware that sustainability has to

not only have a ‘whole of institution’ approach but also an

‘outside institution’ approach too. Building this approach

required a big change in thinking to create cultural change

rather than a merely technical change. Some participants

did not realise just how important or challenging this

could be.

Th e in-depth discussions during the workshop sessions

helped the participants to understand and accept the

complexities of sustainability and the many infl uences and

levers for change. Th ey began to adopt a more systemic

thinking approach in their projects by becoming more

aware of their own biases, through critical thinking

and refl ection as a group, which led them to drive more

informed change for sustainability.

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“...sustainability is everywhere and it

shouldn’t sit within a particular group

or person”.

Project participant in Mentoring Session

“I have a growing appreciation that

it is the process of discussion and

challenging ideas that is critical in

any sustainability program rather

than getting fi xated on agreement or

adhering to a single dogma”.



“Had I applied systemic thinking

to these responses from staff and

management, I may have made the

needed leap in thinking earlier than I

did”.


Case study 9: BHP Billiton

BHP Billiton aimed to implement a measurement

method for non-traditional value in supplier

agreements, such as risk mitigation strategies and

avoidance activities. Traditional fi nancial value was

already incorporated into these agreements.

Firstly, a cross functional team was formed which

used a systemic thinking approach to identify existing

value measurement systems within and external

to the organisation. Th ey evaluated the levers for

change, especially the link between the introduction

of non-traditional value measurement on the supply

chain and the impact on BHP Billiton’s sustainability

performance. Th e team also identifi ed internal and

external stakeholder issues to better understand how

to implement any measurement systems.

Th e team worked with existing systems and processes

to pilot a measurement method to build acceptance

of the change in an inclusive way. Th ey also became

aware that a change in one department or system

would impact on other stakeholders.

After the pilot, the resulting feedback led to a clearer

identifi cation of the most suitable indicators and these

were then rolled out across the organisation.

BHP Billiton used: Systemic thinking, critical thinking and refl ection, visioning and participation


How other organisations use systems thinking

Hewlett Packard

Hewlett Package (HP) is a leading global supplier of

technology solutions to consumers, businesses and

institutions and has a very strong commitment to

global corporate citizenship.

One of the key initiatives which HP is known for is

its product stewardship program based on a life cycle

analysis of its products. Lifecycle analysis incorporates;

design for environment; energy effi ciency; materials

innovation; design for recyclability; packaging; and

product reuse and recycling.

HP involves stakeholders in the life cycle analysis

and works collaboratively with them to minimise

environmental impacts. Th is is an example of systemic

thinking at work.

Source:www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/gcreport/pdf/dfe_life_cycle.pdf


What you can do:Start to embrace complexity and uncertainly rather

than trying to simplify and control change. Do this

by searching for multiple infl uences in situations and

exploring how things link together. Take a ‘helicopter

view’ rather than focusing on just one cause

Run systemic thinking exercises in teams. Take a

complex situation in your organisation or an issue

such as global warming, waste or congestion in

cities. Get people to role play diff erent stakeholder

perspectives and create a discussion forum to hear (but

not necessarily ‘solve’ or reach consensus on) all the

perspectives. Th is helps people realise that there are

many views of the world and better understand the

diversity of thoughts, actions and ideas

Get others to help you address complexity and provide

input into the formulation of change actions and the

task won’t seem so daunting. Allow others to test

your assumptions and the boundaries you are putting

around the issues

Read more about systemic thinking:

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www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/about/keycomps_systemic.htm

www.aries.mq.edu.au/portal/links/envision.htm#systemic

36 | INSIGHT 6 : Move beyond expecting a linear path to change


6 Move beyond expecting a linear

path to change

Does your organisation still use Gantt charts for projects?Many organisations continue to use a Gantt chart

approach to change; a linear process, common in

most project management systems and planning

methodologies, which focuses on regular deliverables and

a deadline for implementation. Th is process is driven by

results and accountability (all good things to aspire to) but

this process of change is not appropriate for change for

sustainability. Sustainability is more complex and requires

a diff erent way of thinking (as we’ve seen in the previous

fi ve Insights).

Th e process of change for sustainability needs to be more

iterative and refl ective, addressing issues as they occur

and often taking a branch path for a while. Th e change

process needs to be more fl exible, and potentially more

opportunistic too, and this may lead to more innovative,

productive and unexpected outcomes.

How can the change process diff er?Th e change process used in Action Research (see Glossary

in the Additional information section) steers organisations

away from the traditional approach to a more critically

refl ective one. Th at is not to say that change doesn’t occur.

It does. But it is the process by which change occurs

that is diff erent in Action Research, not necessarily the

outcomes. It is this process which improves the outcomes.

Once mastered, this powerful process can be reused over

and over again.

“It is OK to change from the original

path and whilst surprises can be

challenging, at the same time they

may end a better result. Don’t be

too programmatic and be open to

adjustments to plan”.

Project participant in Workshop


What was the experience of the organisations?Without exception, all of the organisations involved in the

project used Action Research. Th ey focused on trialling

this new way of thinking and a new process of change,

rather than just focusing on the goal.

In addition, many participants have subsequently reused

aspects of the change process, especially building on staff

engagement and participation levels from their change

project.

Case study 10: Visy Industries

Visy Industries undertook a project to develop

a training package to address a perceived gap in

sustainability knowledge which could be used at each

site within Australia.

From the outset, the project took a much more iterative

approach. A training package was initially developed,

using existing company processes. Following this the

Corporate Environment Department used critical

thinking and refl ection and concluded that the training

package was not targeted and would not actually

achieve its aim.

Subsequently, the package was revised and key internal

stakeholders were engaged. Th is engagement process

opened up lines of communication and led to a deeper

understanding of site needs and identifi cation of levers

for change. It also highlighted that the revised package

would still not lead to change for sustainability.

Finally, this feedback, together with external assistance,

led to the development of a 12 month training program,

much more tailored to staff needs. Th e program takes

a consistent approach across the organisation and is

based on key messages which are building internal

capacity and action for sustainability.

“... I am no longer fi xed in my view there

is only one way to drive change. I am

now more fl exible and open minded

and more knowledgeable on alternative

methods such as the Education for

Sustainability approach and the value of

Action Research”.


The participant…“usually moves from

problem straight to solution. Now sees

it is important to move from issue to

process to solution”.

ARIES refl ections from Mentoring Session with project participant


Th e program is now being run and is still being amended, in response

to feedback during the year, and this further highlights the iterative,

cyclical process of Action Research adopted by Visy Industries.

Visy Industries used: Critical thinking and refl ection, participation and systemic thinking

Case study 11: Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH)

Th e DEH planned to use the 2004/05 Triple Bottom Line (TBL)

report as a starting point to form links between measurement,

planning and performance improvement. However, the reporting

process was signifi cantly delayed by a rethink in the type and focus

of deliverables.

Systemic thinking about the reasons for the delay resulted in a

greater appreciation of the multiple infl uences and relationships in

government. Th is thinking helped place the reporting process within

the broader context of whole of government and allowed the project

to change focus and direction. Action Research also gave the DEH

an opportunity to better evaluate the process of change in government

and the various levers aff ecting change.

Th e focus changed to the formation of key relationships with

both senior managers and bottom up stakeholders which created

better engagement and participation in the reporting process. Th is

engagement is key for making a clear link between the TBL reporting

process and decision making and planning which will lead to greater

change towards sustainability.

DEH used: Critical thinking and refl ection, participation, systemic thinking and partnering


How other organisations use Action Research

Sydney Water Corporation

Sydney Water provides drinking water, recycled water,

wastewater services and some stormwater services to

more than four million people in Sydney and regional

New South Wales.

In 2002, the Environment and Sustainability Group

at Sydney Water implemented an interactive on-line

training package to provide professional development

in sustainability for all staff . By June 2003 about 2,000

employees had completed the training and Sydney

Water wanted to evaluate whether the training was

raising awareness and resulting in changes towards

sustainability in the workplace.

Rather than using external evaluators, a cross divisional

group of staff were engaged to perform the evaluation.

Th is group used an Action Research approach to

assess the impact of the training package whilst they

undertook the training. Action Research experts

assisted staff in planning and conducting their Action

Research activities.

Action Research helped the group to better understand

what they did and did not learn and why. Th is led to

the training package being iteratively adapted. Th e

process also encouraged participation in the further

development of the training package and dialogue

across the organisation as to how to better achieve


Source: Tilbury, D. and Podger, D. (2004) Sydney Water Participatory Action Research Evaluation: ESD Awareness Package. Sydney: Graduate School of the Environment, Macquarie University


What you can doTh ink about how you usually project plan. Is it a linear

plan or do you adjust it as you go? If it is linear, why is

this so? Refl ect on whether you are able to challenge this

linear path to change and if not, why not

Even if you need to follow a prescribed change procedure

at work, ensure you build in time for critical thinking and

refl ection into project planning along with key milestones.

Th is will give you ‘permission’ and time to stop and think

about how the project is going, refl ect and then adjust your

plans if necessary

Trial this new way in small project fi rst, even with

something you do at home eg. planning a holiday or

moving house, to make you see how it is diff erent. Focus

on the outcome you’re trying to achieve and document

how you got there

Read more about Action Research:

www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arhome.html

A range of background and more specifi c

information on Action Research and the journal

‘Action Research International’ from Southern Cross

University in northern New South Wales.

www.alarpm.org.au

Various resources and the journal ‘Action Learning

and Action Research’ from Th e Action Learning,

Action Research and Process Management

Association.

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42 | In summary

“Finally, the project emphasised

the need to be resilient. Being

involved in change processes

requires a specifi c set of

personal characteristics. All

change takes time, change for

sustainability can be drawn out

and complex. Therefore, there

is a need for perseverance. This

also emphasises the importance

of mentors and networks and

partnerships. Change processes

also require the need to be

fl exible. There is more than

one way to get to the end

goal. The skills of facilitation,

collaboration and negotiation

are critical to achieving change

for sustainability as an end

goal”.



Rethinking change for sustainability using an Action

Research approach supported by an Education for

Sustainability framework provides new ways of engaging

with change in an organisation. To be most eff ective, it

needs support from senior staff and organisational culture

as well as learning and development resources.

Th e results speak for themselves:

Organisational response to sustainability is improved

by people understanding the vision for sustainability,

having access to learning resources and taking

ownership for change. In addition, there is more

empowerment and people feel they have permission to

participate;

Th e Education for Sustainability framework develops

a more holistic approach to change, recognised as

providing more enduring and widespread benefi ts.

Th e framework also promotes the establishment of

networks and more lasting partnerships which drive

broader societal based change;

Th e Action Research approach involves participants

as researchers of their own practice and can result in

catalytic change for sustainability. It enables change

agents to identify and use levers for change to embed

sustainability practices and processes within an

organisation; and

By sharing experiences and refl ections between

organisations, either informally or via a published

resource, practical guidance can be provided to others

to make change.

If this approach can be used frequently and is reinforced

by a positive culture, it has the potential to build both

organisational and societal capacity which drives

successful, signifi cant change for sustainability.

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* In summary

44 | Additional information

“Education for Sustainability

and Action Research are

eff ective in making change

towards sustainability because

they recognise that incremental

steps, review and adaptation

are the key to moving, and

generally moving forward. The

concepts recognise that taking

the time to share, engage, learn

from others and understand

others is the key to moving in

the right direction and does

not ultimately slow the process

down”.



Th e key elements of the 12 month project shown below were:

Development of initial and ongoing research material;

Seven bi-monthly workshops facilitated by ARIES;

Development of specifi c participant actions for sustainability;

Monthly mentoring facilitated by ARIES;

A refl ective journal kept by project participants; and

Feedback from participants.

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Additional information

1: Key elements of the project process

Individual participant Participant group

ARIES

Mentoring FacilitationFeedbackFeedback

Partnering

Research framework

External stakeholders

- Other organisations

- Department of the Environment

and Heritage

- Industry Working Group of the

National Environmental

Education Council

- Media

- Other ARIES projects

Theory base

Research material

Change project

Journal keeping

Workshops

Shared

learning and

experiences

Networks


Additional information 2: Who was involved and what did they do?

1. Research partners

Australian Research Institute in Education for SustainabilityARIES is the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability based at Macquarie

University, Sydney. ARIES is primarily funded by the Australian Government Department of

the Environment and Heritage. Its core business is to undertake research that informs policy and

practice in Education for Sustainability across a range of sectors including: business and industry,

school education, community education, further and higher education.

ARIES adopts an innovative approach to research with a view to translating awareness of

sustainability issues into action and change. ARIES is concerned with how we inform, motivate

and manage structural change towards sustainability.

In this project ARIES framed the research, planned and facilitated the project stages which

involved workshops, sourcing research material and provided monthly mentoring to participants.

For more information see: www.aries.mq.edu.au

Department of the Environment and HeritageTh e Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) is the Australian Government’s lead

agency for environmental and heritage policies and programs. Th e research project and this

booklet were funded by the DEH through the Natural Heritage Trust.

Th e Sustainability Education Section of the DEH promotes education that develops skills,

knowledge and values to promote behaviour in support of a sustainable environment. It

is responsible for developing a new National Action Plan for Education for Sustainable

Development, implementing an appropriate Government response to the United Nations Decade

of Education for Sustainable Development, consolidating and expanding the Government’s

Australian Sustainable Schools initiative in all States and Territories, promoting the use of

the National Environmental Education Statement for Australian Schools and improving our

knowledge base in Sustainability Education through the partnership with ARIES at Macquarie

University.

For more information see: www.deh.gov.au


2. Project participants

Amcor AustralasiaAmcor Australasia is a major manufacturer of plastic, fi bre and metal packaging in Australia

and New Zealand. Amcor is committed to managing its businesses around the world in an

environmentally responsible manner at all times. Th is extends beyond its manufacturing facilities

to also include its products and services. Th rough continuous research into Amcor products and

production systems, the company aims to achieve best practice environmental management across

all its operations around the world.

Project outcomes: Implemented Positive Performance Indicators for health, safety and

environment.

For more information see: www.amcor.com

BHP BillitonBHP Billiton is the world’s largest diversifi ed resources company. BHP Billiton’s vision for

sustainable development is to be the company of choice and creating sustainable value for a

wide range of stakeholders. Central to this vision is the goal of ‘Zero Harm’ to people and the

environment. Th is means BHP Billiton aspires to create a workplace that is injury, illness and

incident free and seeks to minimise and, where possible, eliminate any environmental impacts

over time.

Project outcomes: Implemented measurement method for non-traditional value in supplier

agreements.

For more information see: www.bhpbilliton.com

Department of the Environment and HeritageTh e Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) is the Australian Government’s lead

agency for environmental and heritage policies and programs.

Its ‘Sustainability in Government Program’ aims to improve the environmental performance of

Australian Government departments and agencies. Th e DEH recognises the value of leading by

example and so works on encouraging its own staff to achieve better practice, including through

the coordination of DEH sustainability reporting.

Project outcomes: Finalised 2004/05 TBL report and started to form links between measurement

and planning and performance improvement.

For more information see: www.deh.gov.au


National Australia Bank (NAB)NAB is an international fi nancial services organisation that provides a comprehensive range of

fi nancial products and services through its group of companies. NAB published its second CSR

Report in December 2005. Th is report highlights how NAB is applying its corporate principles

practically via a wide range of CSR initiatives to support building a sustainable business for the

long term.

Project outcomes: Developed a draft CSR Procurement Policy and an initial supporting

procedure to assist with the supplier selection process.

For more information see: www.nabgroup.com

Parramatta City CouncilParramatta is situated 24 km from the Sydney CBD, is the 6th largest CBD in Australia and

the economic capital of Western Sydney. Parramatta City Council delivers a huge variety of

services to the area and plays a strong leadership role in stimulating business and investment,

improvements to the public domain and enhancement of the environmental and social fabric of

the city.

Project outcomes: Engaged staff to develop a vision for sustainability and developed strategies to

achieve this vision.

For more information see: www.parracity.nsw.gov.au

Toyota AustraliaToyota Australia one of Toyota Japan’s global manufacturing centres with a long term

commitment to the domestic and export markets. Toyota Australia’s head offi ce and

manufacturing/engineering activities in Melbourne are complemented by a sales and marketing

function in Sydney. Toyota Australia is striving to develop a culture that recognises the

importance of environmentally responsible behaviour and the need to continuously improve

business operations, always driving innovation and evolution.

Project outcomes: Analysed employee awareness levels and engaged staff in change for

sustainability.

For more information see: www.toyota.com.au


Visy Industries Visy Industries is a packaging company which manufactures and recycles a wide range of primary

and secondary packaging. It has recovery and recycling programs for the full range of packaging

it produces and is committed to recycling and the environment.

Project outcomes: Formulated a 12 month training program to build capacity and create action

for sustainability.

For more information see: www.visy.com.au

Wesley Mission Sydney Wesley Mission Sydney is part of the Uniting Group of churches and its commitment to

sustainability stems from the sense of Christian stewardship, which supports inter-generational

equity, in which humans are to care for people and the planet. Wesley Mission Sydney provides a

diverse range of services to support people in need and is committed to a balanced ministry of the

Word, action and Spirit.

Project outcomes: Engaged key staff for sustainability and achieved commitment to resources,

planning and performance improvement.

For more information see: www.wesleymission.org.au

Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac)Westpac provides a broad range of banking and fi nancial services for personal, business and

institutional customers in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacifi c region. Westpac has a strong

commitment to sustainability and been assessed as the global sustainability leader for the banking

sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the past four years in a row.

Project outcomes: Identifi ed internal and external drivers for sustainable supply chain management.

For more information see: www.westpac.com.au

Yarra Valley WaterYarra Valley Water is the largest of Melbourne’s three retail water companies and provides water

and sewerage services across Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs. It is owned by the

Victorian Government. Yarra Valley Water recognises that the well being of our community and

the strength of our economy are dependent on the health of our environment. To that end Yarra

Valley Water strives to provide water and sewerage services within the carrying capacity of nature.

Project outcomes: Developed an understanding of the link between information and values which

led to the creation of more robust sustainability strategies.

For more information see: www.yarravalleywater.com.au


Additional information 3: Glossary

Action Research

Action Research can be used as a collaborative research tool and is often

represented as a four-phase cyclical process of critical enquiry – plan

formation, action, outcome observation and refl ection. It aims not just to

improve, but to innovate practice.

Action Research provides a valuable process for exploring ways in which

sustainability is relevant to the researchers’ workplaces and/or lifestyles. It

views change as the desired outcome and involves participants as researchers

of their own practice. In this way Action Research produces more than just a

research document. It results in catalytic change for sustainability. Its focus

on critical enquiry and continuous self-evaluation makes it a useful tool for

professional development in Education for Sustainability. Critical Action

Research aims to change systems and to embed change in practice.

Capacity Building

Capacity Building consists of participative training which takes place either

through a formal course, workshop or in-situ mentoring support. Th e focus is

the development of the individual and/or the organisation.

Corporate Citizenship

Corporate Citizenship refers to the way a company leverages their social,

economic and human assets. When a company uses its assets to bring about

measurable gains not only for itself, but for society as well, that company is

acting as a good Corporate Citizen. A good Corporate Citizen integrates

basic social values with everyday business practices, operations and policies,

so that these values infl uence daily decision-making across all aspects of

the business. It takes into account its impact on all stakeholders, including

employees, customers, communities, suppliers and the natural environment.

For further information refer to ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’.


Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate Social Responsibility is the decision-making and implementation

process that guides all company activities in the protection and promotion

of international human rights, labour and environmental standards and

compliance with legal requirements. CSR involves a commitment to

contribute to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of

communities through the on-going engagement of stakeholders, the active

participation of communities impacted by company activities and the

public reporting of company policies and performance in the economic,

environmental and social arenas. For further information refer to ‘Corporate

Citizenship’.

Critical Theory

Critical Th eory is a philosophical framework that seeks to radically critique

systems of knowledge and power. It seeks to develop systemic changes as

opposed to individual behaviour changes. It emphasises the importance of

engaging people in thinking critically and developing their own responses

and actions to issues rather than imposing on them previously constructed

actions. Critical Th eory attacks social practices, which obstruct social justice,

human emancipation and ecological sustainability. It is not only ‘critical’

in the sense of being ‘deconstructive’ in relation to dominant thinking, but

also ‘constructive’ in the sense of exploring alternatives to it. Critical Th eory

underpins an Education for Sustainability approach. For further information

refer to ‘Critical Th inking’.

Critical Thinking

Critical Th inking is an essential part of Education for Sustainability. It

challenges us to examine the way we interpret the world and how our

knowledge and opinions are shaped by those around us. Critical Th inking

leads us to a deeper understanding of interests behind our communities and

the infl uences of media and advertising in our lives.

Education for Sustainability (EfS)

Education for Sustainability has formalised as a concept as a result of

international agreements and the global call to actively pursue sustainable

development. EfS is also referred to as ‘learning for sustainability’ or

‘education for sustainable development’ and provides a new orientation for

current practice in Environmental Education.


Th is new orientation attempts to move beyond education in and about the

environment approaches (ie. developing understanding and awareness)

to focus on equipping learners with the necessary skills to be able to take

positive action to address a range of sustainability issues. EfS motivates,

equips and involves individuals and social groups in refl ecting on how we

currently live and work, in making informed decisions and creating ways

to work towards a more sustainable world. Underpinned by the principles

of Critical Th eory, EfS aims to go beyond individual behaviour change and

seeks to engage and empower people to implement systemic changes. For

further information refer to ‘Critical Th eory’.

Envisioning and Futures Thinking

Envisioning a better future is a process that engages people in conceiving and

capturing a vision of their ideal future. Envisioning, also known as ‘futures

thinking’, helps people to discover their possible and preferred futures and to

uncover the beliefs and assumptions that underlie these visions and choices.

It helps learners establish a link between their long term goals and their

immediate actions. Envisioning off ers direction and energy and provides

impetus for action by harnessing the deep aspirations which motivate what

people do in the present.

Facilitation

Facilitation encourages learning to be driven by the learner. Th e facilitation

process aligns well with the principles of sustainability as it has the following

characteristics:

Enables a learner centred approach;

Equips the learner with the necessary skills and knowledge to take action

and actively participate in change and decision-making;

Develops the capacity of individuals and groups to ‘critically’ refl ect upon

the social and cultural context underpinning the change they seek; and

Off ers a more democratic approach to sustainability. Th e process

encourages all citizens to engage in open dialogue and eliminates

inequitable power hierarchies as the facilitators do not have a stake in

the change for sustainability and the process does not rely on the expert

knowledge.

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♦

♦

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Mentoring

Mentoring, in this context, provides individuals and groups, who are

grappling with sustainability, with the support and understanding that they

need to engage with this concept. Th e process off ers mentoree centred,

collaborative support and space to engage people in critically examining

opportunities for change within their home, community or workplace.

Valuable and important components of the mentoring process are dialogue

and sharing of information amongst colleague networks and the creation of

opportunities for relevant change to the mentoree.

National Environmental Education Council

A key element of the Australian Government’s National Action Plan

for Environmental Education is the establishment of the National

Environmental Education Council. Th e Council is a non-statutory body

comprised of people from a variety of sectors who provide expert advice to

the Government on Environmental Education issues. A key goal of the

Council is to raise the profi le of Environmental Education and, in particular,

how Australians can move beyond environmental awareness to informed

action.

Stakeholders

A Stakeholder is a person or group with an interest in an activity and or

outcome. It is a term frequently associated with sustainable development.

Stakeholders may be internal or external to a group or organisation and may

be direct or indirect benefi ciaries of an activity or outcome. Sustainable

Development promotes cross-sectoral stakeholder engagement in the

planning and implementation of actions. For further information refer to

‘Sustainable Development and Sustainability’.

Sustainable Development and Sustainability

Th e idea of Sustainability owes a great deal to the United Nations

which in 1983 set up the World Commission on Environment and

Development (WCED) and promoted quality of life for present as well as

future generations. Th e key goals of Sustainability are to live within our

environmental limits, to achieve social justice and to foster economic and

social progress.


Issues such as food security, poverty, sustainable tourism, urban quality,

women, fair trade, green consumerism, ecological public health and waste

management as well as those of climatic change, deforestation, land

degradation, desertifi cation, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity

and terrorism are of primary concern to Sustainable Development.

Th e issues underlying ‘Sustainable Development’ or ‘Sustainability’ are

complex and cannot be encapsulated within the diplomatic language and

compromises. Sustainability is open to diff erent interpretations and takes

on diff erent meanings not only between cultures but also between diff erent

interest groups within societies. Sustainability embraces equality for all and

for this reason, a key aim of Sustainability is to enable multi-stakeholder

groups to defi ne their vision of Sustainability and to work towards it.

Systems Thinking

Systems Th inking is a thinking methodology based upon a critical

understanding of how complex systems (such as environments, ecosystems

and organisations) function - considering the whole rather than the sum

of the parts. Systems Th inking provides an alternative to the dominant

way of thinking, which emphasises analysis and understanding through

deconstruction.

In comparison, Systems Th inking off ers a better way to understand and

manage complex situations because it emphasises holistic, integrative

approaches, which take into account the relationships between system

components and works toward long term solutions critical to addressing

issues of sustainability. Systems Th inking off ers an innovative approach

to looking at the world and the issues of sustainability in a broader,

interdisciplinary and more relational way. Closely related to holistic and

ecological thinking, systemic approaches help us shift our focus and attention

from ‘things’ to processes, from static states to dynamics and from ‘parts’ to

‘wholes’.

Acknowledgements

Th e Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES) is grateful to the

Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) and the Natural

Heritage Trust for providing funding for this project. We are also grateful to members of the

Industry Working Group of the National Environmental Education Council for informing

this research. In addition, we express our thanks to those organisations that participated and

supported this project and the participants for devoting their time and eff orts to make change


Citation

Hunting, SA. and Tilbury D. (2006) ‘Shifting towards sustainability: Six insights into successful

organisational change for sustainability’, Australian Research Institute in Education for

Sustainability (ARIES) for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and

Heritage, Sydney: ARIES.

ISBN

ISBN 10: 1 74138 198 3

ISBN 13: 978 1 74138 198 6

© Commonwealth of Australia 2006

Information contained in this publication may be copied or reproduced for study, research,

information or educational purposes, subject to inclusion of acknowledgment of the source.

Disclaimer

Th e views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not

necessarily refl ect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and

Heritage.

PDF Version is available at www.aries.mq.edu.au and www.deh.gov.au

For hard copies of this document please email: [email protected]

Th is booklet was printed on Monza Satin — 55% recycled paper that is ECF and certifi ed FSC mixed source (Certifi cate no. SA-

COC-1532). Printed by ecoDesign ecoPrint, Arncliff e, NSW using vegetable oil based inks and an environmentally friendly

alcohol-free printing process and designed by the Centre for Flexible Learning, Macquarie University CFL W06120

“…critical thinking and

relationships are key to any

change for sustainability. I also

learnt that sometimes slow is

good, non linear is best, as they

allow quiet refl ection along

the way and absorption of

implications of the change by

many people”.


Shifting towards sustainabilitySix insights into successful

organisational change for sustainability

macquarieU N I V E R S I T Y S Y D N E Y

Six insights into successful organisational change for sustainabilitySh

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